


A Coast That's Unclear

by monogramsalarm



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/M, Gen, I'll add more tags as it goes on, and collecting the relics, au where taako gets the band of telepathic thought earlier in the show, but so far, it's just the 7 birds coming together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-04-13 13:29:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14113365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monogramsalarm/pseuds/monogramsalarm
Summary: Taako couldn't understand who or what came out of his umbrella, he just knew they were the most important person in his life. After remembering over 100 years of lost time, the Seven Birds realize that the Hunger is still coming for them; and they don't have all the Grand Relics all together to try and stop them from consuming the world they now call home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I've been working on this for uhhhhhhh Quite Some Time and I feel confident enough in it that I'm ready to post it! Also, suspend some reality and just imagine that Taako got the Band of Telepathic Thought in between Crystal Kingdom and Eleventh Hour instead of Eleventh Hour and Suffering Game. Cool cool, I love you all. If you're reading this, just know I love you okay bye.  
> \- Maddie  
> PS: Special shout out to my bestest bro Oliver for reading this and giving me feedback on how to Make It Better!! ILY sm my pal!!

Taako walked back to his room, looking down stunned at the umbra-staff in his hands. After having seen it just burn a name, or at least he assumed it was a name, into the wall and destroy the macarons from Angus, he knew something was up. It had always been different from other weapons in that it sort of ate the person it defeated. And he couldn't shake the feeling that this Lup, whoever they were, was integral to the umbra-staff itself. Not seeing either of his roommates, Taako settled down on the couch, examining the umbrella. It seemed perfectly normal. He could swear there was something about the name Lup, but it felt like the Voidfish was taking the name from him. Which it couldn't have, of course. After being inoculated, he was privy to the secrets of the Bureau, so nothing was off limits to him. But that name seemed so similar. He dug through his bag to find something, anything that could help. Upon finding a new gadget that he’d gotten at Fantasy Costco, he grinned. The Band of Telepathic Thought might reveal at least something about whatever was happening with the umbra-staff.

“Taako, it's me, it's ___” Taako suddenly heard a voice that sounded too far away, but so close at the same time. The voice made his heart ache, but he couldn't tell why. The voice’s name seemed to have been taken from them, which was confusing and a little bit upsetting, though he didn’t know why or how he could attach an emotion to something he couldn’t hear. “Please let me know that you’re out there.” He heard more speaking and looked down at the umbra-staff and realized that’s where the voice came from. His fucking umbrella… Was talking to him. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity and held it close to his ear.

“Hellooooo?” He called softly, seeing if someone were trapped in the handle. It sounded ridiculous, but this weapon ate people. It definitely had them inside of it, or at least their powers. And if it wasn’t coming from there, he was at a loss for where the voice could have originated.

“Wait, you can hear me?” The voice sounded confused as hell, like they weren’t expecting an answer any time soon. “Taako, you can hear my voice and understand what I’m saying?” They started to get more excited.

“Yeah my dude, it's a little quiet, but I can hear you. Quick question though, was that your name you blasted into the wall? And follow up question, how the  _ fuck _ are you living in my umbrella?” His voice raised a little, becoming  _ very  _ aware that he was talking to his umbrella. It remained stationary in his hands, not giving off any physical indication that anything was awry or abnormal about it.

“Well… Yeah, that’s my name. But how I’m in here… Shit, I don't even know. How can I put this in a way you could remember…” The voice trailed off. “Y'know where you found that umbrella?”

“Yeah, there was a skeleton in a red robe and Merle tried to grab it and got thrown into the wall.” He twirled it around in his hands, still looking for any sign that he wasn’t just losing his mind and talking to empty space that he perceived as a voice coming from his magic umbrella.

“Right, yes, that was me.” They answered, raising more questions for him. “Can you hear when I say my name? I’m ___, could you understand that?” Taako cringed away, hearing more static.

“Look, my dude, for some reason, your name is being fucked up whenever you say it. But Lulu feels good, you like Lulu?” Taako’s heart swelled when he called the voice Lulu, but he couldn't seem to figure out why. There were so many things about this he couldn't comprehend, but everything about interacting with them seemed so… Normal?

“Oh my god Taako, you don't know how much you calling me Lulu means.” She-- he assumed it was a she-- sighed, sounding more relieved by the minute.

“Cool cool, I have a talking umbrella named Lulu now,” he laughed, setting it down carefully. “How long you been in there, friendo?”

“Um, well, I guess ever since you picked up the umbra-staff.” Taako nodded along, then a realization hit.

“You had a red robe on… Were you one of the Red Robes? Like that spooky skeleton ghosty guy who keeps following us?” She gasped, taking him aback.

“Wait wait wait… You… You found him? Do you remember him?” She demanded.

“Aside from the spookiness that's been happening with him? Nah. He just kinda pops up and says cryptic shit in a creepy voice.” Taako shrugged. “Do you know him?”

“Yes, absolutely! It’s ____!” He cringed a little at the static and held the umbrella further from him.

“Got all fuzzy there, bud. You know, it’s fine! Why don’t you tell me about yourself and I’ll tell you when it gets all crinkly.” Taako kicked off his high heeled boots and sat down once more, settling in. Merle was on one of his “secret missions” again, and Magnus was hanging out/ training with Carey and Killian, so he knew he had time to waste. Lup, though he couldn’t hold her name in his mind for long without getting a headache, told him all she could about herself. A lot of it was static, but he learned a few things about her. She had a brother who she couldn’t talk about, she was a hella great wizard before the umbra-staff ate her, she didn’t like being cramped up inside the umbra-staff, and she liked cooking almost as much as he did. She was absolutely the coolest person he’d ever met. Shame she was stuck in the umbra-staff or they’d be inseparable best friends.

“So, can you hear everything that’s happening outside? Like, you know whenever us three fuck up? Cuz I gotta say, I’ve never done anything wrong in my life, ever. It’s the other two chucklefucks who mess everything up.” Taako defended. She laughed, which made Taako feel those unknown emotions again. Whoever the fuck she was, she had to be damn important because Taako didn’t care about that many people to be caught up with feelings like that. “I mean, they’re cool, they’re just fucking morons,” he continued, then stopped suddenly upon hearing Magnus walk in their shared apartment. He kicked off his shoes and walked into the living room, giving a little wave to Taako.

“Hey. You just chilling at home today? Cuz there was a special down at Fantasy Costco, I’d have thought you would be there.” Magnus settled into an armchair that he’d obviously built himself.

“Yeah, I heard about it but then I decided to just come home. Trying to teach a ten year old some magic is harder than you’d think, but Ango’s doing pretty well.” He looked down at the umbra-staff, still hearing Lup’s voice coming from it. He didn’t know whether or not to tell Magnus about the weirdness surrounding the umbra-staff and Lup, who seemed to be a permanent inhabitant. “Hey, you notice anything weird about this?” Taako tossed the umbra-staff to Magnus. It started to jerk out of his hand and Magnus let go, sending it flying back towards Taako.

“I mean, it just kind of ignores me like usual. Did you change the color of it or something? Add any more magic users to your death toll?” Magnus walked over and sat beside Taako, examining it in fuller detail.

“Okay, let me try something else.” Taako held the umbra-staff up to Magnus’ ear. “You hear that?” He noticed Lup started calling Magnus’ name, trying to help out.

“Mmmm nope. I don’t know what you’re trying to get outta this, but I’ll admit, it’s kind of weird.” Magnus shifted in his seat. Taako remembered the Band of Telepathic Thought and quickly shoved it onto Magnus’ wrist.

“How about now??” Taako bounced a little bit, eager to share this with him. Magnus’ eyes widened as he heard Lup’s voice coming through.

“Who is that?!” He looked down at the umbra-staff. “Taako is there a person stuck in your umbrella?”

“I think so? I have no clue how to get her out though.” Taako twirled it in his hands. “To be honest, I don’t even know if she  _ can  _ get out _.” _

“I might know a way. Can I see it?” Magnus reached for the umbrella. Taako handed it over and Magnus nodded to himself, opening and closing it, examining the construction. “Yep, I’ve got it.” He held each end of the umbrella, suddenly snapping it in half and breaking it over his knee.

“MAGNUS, WHAT THE FUCK?!” Taako jumped up, then was suddenly knocked back down by some force coming from the umbra-staff. Flames jetted around them as something— some _ one _ came out of the umbra-staff. The fire burned fiercely and Taako looks around, worried about the state of their living quarters. It was so bright and seemed to consume everything, but then a realization hit. The fire was spectral, not real. It left everything in its path untouched. The flames subsided, a red swirling mist pooling around their ankles.Taako and Magnus exchanged a confused and amazed glance, bewildered by what just happened. Magnus dropped the two pieces of the umbra-staff before the two heard a woman’s voice above them.

“God, I love your impulsiveness, Magnus.” A red-robed form floated just in front of them. She then realized they heard her and that she wasn’t still stuck in there. Looking down at her hands, the red robed figure laughed in amazement, looking straight at Taako. She seemed to grin despite the fact that, in her current state, she didn’t have a definitive face.

“Well, now this is gonna take some getting used to.” She brushed herself off, something very unnecessary for her spectral form. The action seemed to be more for the aesthetic than anything else. And Taako loved every second of it. He didn’t know why, but everything she did seemed amazing to him in a way he couldn’t comprehend. Maybe she was just  _ that  _ important to him. But if she was someone he cared about… Then just who was she?


	2. Chapter 2

“Oh my god, you’re one of the Red Robes?!” Magnus stared at her, his eyes wide with excitement and a hint of fear. It seemed like she was immensely powerful, just judging from how she'd definitely been the one controlling the umbra-staff the whole time. The form, which they put two and two together and realized was Lup, cocked her head in confusion.

“The Red Robes? You mean the ____, which you’re also ____?”  Her mouth was clearly moving, but only static came out. Taako shook his head as he scrambled to his feet.

“You went all static-y again, Lulu.” He paused for a moment, looking from her to Magnus. If she was like the other Red Robe, they’d need to tell _someone_.“Should we tell the Director or something? Wasn’t she wary of these guys?” He said reluctantly. It wasn’t like she was being cryptic and trying to warn them of some far off danger like the other one had. She just seemed chill and like she was content to hang out with them.

“Who’s the Director?” Lup raised an eyebrow, crossing her spectral arms in front of herself. “Is she someone I have to be worried about?”

“I think her real name’s Lucretia.” Magnus rubbed his neck, trying to remember. Lup seemed to glow just a little bit brighter as Magnus continued. “She’s pretty cool, she runs the Bureau, which is where we are currently.”

“Oh my god, Lucretia?!” Lup seemed to bounce in excitement, then paused as a wave seemed to pass over her, her spectral form growing darker. “Oh my god, _Lucretia…_ ” She said again, this time filled with rage. Taako gave Magnus a somewhat nervous glance, wondering if they should have kept that a secret. Magnus didn’t seem to notice and nodded.

“Have you run into her before? Cuz she seems to hate the Red Robes. And, uh, you kind of seem like you might hate her a little bit too.” Lup shook her head at this.

“Yeah, I know her… And I don’t exactly hate her, but I _do_ have a few words to share with Lucretia,” she balled up her fists. “Can we see her?” Magnus and Taako shared a glance, then nodded. Lup seemed to be pissed off beyond all compare, but the two felt like it was a better idea for Lup’s anger to be directed towards someone not themselves.

“Can we drape something over you? Or can you change into something less spooky and obvious?” Magnus eyed her, crossing his arms. “It might be a little conspicuous if we’re just walking around with a scary… Lich, right? I don’t wanna assume, but I’m pretty sure you and the other guy are liches.”

“Nah, this is just how I am. She’ll understand when she sees me.” Lup shrugged. “Now, can we goooooo?” She started drifting towards the elevator impatiently. Taako and Magnus followed, eagerly trying to figure out how they recognized her. They both feel like they’d interacted with her before that day. There were so many familiarities, but they couldn’t remember without it going fuzzy in their minds.

“Hey, so Lulu, you keep going all staticy, kind of like when the Voidfish has eaten information. Is something else going on as far as you know?” They walked carefully across the campus, Magnus standing in front of Lup every time they came across anyone else.

“I mean, it seems to be like the same kind of phenomenon. Lucretia will definitely know what’s up, I know for a fact that she’s hiding something from you.” She paused, looking them up and down. “She’s hiding _a lot_ from you…” Lup muttered, half to herself. They finally made it to the largest dome on the campus and Taako and Magnus walked in, Lup drifting behind them, hidden completely. The Director looked up, saw the pair, and gave them that small, still somewhat composed smile.

“What can I do for you two? It’s peculiar seeing you unaccompanied by Merle, but I’m still happy to see-“ She froze, suddenly seeing Lup. “Oh my god, Lup?! I-I… How did you…” She stammered, not being able to find the words. Any hint of gravitas she had was replaced with a mixture of panic, confusion, and a hint of relief.

“Start talking, Lucretia. I’ve had a _long_ couple of years being stuck in a damn umbrella!” Lup laughed, though it was more out of anger than anything else. “First, I die in a cave after being literally stabbed in the back, then I go all lich form and get sucked into that umbra-staff, where I sat on my ass waiting for a decade, and now my own ___ ___ Taako can’t remember me and they just look at me like those ___ ____ together never even happened!” Her form began to waver and blur the angrier she got. Lucretia scanned the room for anyone else aside from the guards and Davenport. She rubbed her temples and stood up, leaning slightly on her white oak staff.

“Why don’t we talk in my office?” She gestured for Lup to follow. After a few steps, she turned to Taako and Magnus. “You too. I guess the cat’s out of the proverbial bag now.” She seemed a little disappointed, but there was still hope in her voice. The group walked to her office, but Lucretia didn’t stop there. She opened a door on her wall that they’d never gone through before, leading down a hallway to what they assumed were her private quarters. The longer she walked, the more tense Taako and Magnus felt. They had no clue what she was talking about and didn’t know how to feel about the whole situation. Lup seemed to know more than she let on- those glances towards Taako were a dead giveaway- but she kept her cool through the silent walk through the hall. Finally, they came to a small, modest room that seemed more like sleeping quarters that were barely used. From what they could see, a tank with something floating inside that they couldn’t quite focus on sat on a desk on one side of the room, with a small bed, couch, and dresser on the other side. Lucretia sat down and dug a small glass out of one of the drawers. Silently, she dipped it into the tank and carefully wiped any drips from the side of the glass.

“Taako, Magnus, please sit down. And once you drink this, don’t try to think ahead, there’s way too much and it could hurt you and I desperately don’t want you to be hurt,” Lucretia gestured to the small couch. Taako sat down, looking to Lup for reassurance he didn’t realize he needed from her. Magnus took the glass from Lucretia. “I’ll wait until you two have relaxed a little to explain everything.” Lucretia nodded to them and Magnus took a sip, handing it off to Taako. His gaze drifted to the tank, where he could now see a smaller Voidfish floating. Taako sipped it carefully, then nearly dropped the glass. “Please, don’t try to think ahead, just let it come back to you,” they could hear Lucretia say in a soothing voice as their minds threatened to tear them apart and she began to explain everything. “There… There were seven of us…” she began, launching into the story that had been taken from them that they could now remember with clarity.

A century. That’s how much time they’d lost. Taako lost so much more, but now that he knew what he was missing, he felt whole. He remembered Lup. The spectral form in front of him was his goddamn twin sister, and everything she’d done for him and the entirety of that century came rushing back. A realization swept through his mind as he realized who the other Red Robe who pursued them ended up being. How could he have forgotten about Barry? He wasn’t just Gundren’s body man who’d gotten lost in Phandalin, he was Taako’s best friend, the love of his sister’s life, his _brother_. He remembered Magnus, Merle, Lucretia, and Davenport, further back than he had previously thought he could have known. He thought Lup was lost but no, she stood before him. A little spookier than he hoped, but she was still there.

Magnus’ century came back with similar realizations, but none so powerful as the memories of Fisher. The fact that they were still alive despite the years they’d gone through was miraculous. His old life came rushing back, a realization that the three people in front of him weren’t just people he’d known in the past year but his family that he’d gone through 100 years of pain with. He remembered Lup, just moments ago, telling Lucretia that her own twin brother couldn’t remember her and that the two of them acted like their 100 years together never happened, which, to their previous memory, was fairly accurate. He remembered so much more than he’d ever anticipated and, to his horror, recalled his last moments before forgetting where Lucretia had taken everything from them.

As Taako came to again, his eyes welled up with tears. His head throbbed, now filled with 100 years of memories he didn’t know he’d lost. He wiped his eyes, looking up at his twin sister and finally seeing her for who she really was.

"You good, Koko?" Lup asked, eyeing him up and down. Taako didn't hesitate and threw his arms around her, holding on for dear life.

“Guess I should have taken a fucking sip sooner, huh Lulu?” He laughed, his voice wavering ever so slightly. Lup laughed, grinning so widely it could even be seen in her spectral form. Magnus rubbed his head, looking around the room at the now familiar faces of his family. His gaze finally met Lucretia’s and he pushed himself up in his chair, starting to feel heated.

“Wait, why did… Why did this all happen? I knew you’d done it, I-I was there when you fed the memories to Fisher!” He stood up in rage, then nearly fell over from the dizziness that remembering 100 years of lost memories brought.

“Magnus, believe me, I-I had no other choice!” She put her hand on his shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut and she sighed. “What we’d done to this world was unforgivable and I could see it having its effect on all of us. When Lup went missing, I knew that was what would do us in. I couldn’t stand to see Taako and Barry so upset and every single day things just kept getting worse from the relics we’d created. If there was something else that could have been done, I would have done it,” Lucretia paused, reaching for his hand with both of hers. She squeezed it gently and looked up at him. “Magnus, you’re still my family. After all that’s happened, I just want what’s best for all of us.” Magnus looked to her, then cracked a small smile, pulling her in for a hug.

“This is really great and heartfelt, but uhhhhh I just have one question,” Taako spoke up. “Why the fuck are we collecting the relics we made? If they’re all in one place, then the Hunger’s more likely to—“ He froze, remembering the event at the midsummer festival with horror evident in his expression. “They’re already coming… Aren’t they?” She nodded solemnly and he laughed, no humor to be found in his voice.

“Are we just going to try again?” Lup spoke up. “Or is this it?”

“Wait, wait, wait, we can’t just give up!” Magnus shook his head. “Can’t we try Lucretia’s plan to cut everything off?”

“That will just cause this world to die out! If we cut it off, then it’s finished. We’d have to leave either way!” Lup floated over to them. “Look, if we’re going to try and stop this once and for all, we’re going to need all hands on deck. Taako, you and I are going to look for Barry. Lucretia, you know where Davenport is, right?” Lucretia nodded. “Perfect. Magnus, you wait for Merle to come back from wherever he’s gone off to and bring him here.” Lup clapped her hands together. “So, once we get them in on the loop, we can formulate a plan.” Taako looked at her.

“Problem: Barold died in Phandalin and has been haunting us, so he could be floating around all spooky anywhere at this point.” He adjusted his braid. “But, I think if anyone can find him, it’s you.”

“I think I might have an idea of where he is,” Lup started floating to the exit and Taako ran after her.

“Meeting adjourned, I guess??” Taako called out behind him. Lucretia furrowed her brows, trying to think. Magnus examined her and sat down.

“They won’t be back for a while, you can sit. We have at least five months to figure everything out and put this plan in action. I’ve seen us do a lot more in a lot less time. Just sit.” He patted the seat beside him. She relaxed slightly, easing herself down beside him. After a moment of silence, she turned to him.

“We only have two left. The chalice is still where you left it in Refuge, although actually getting to it might prove more difficult than you’d think, and the animus bell…” She faded out, clenching her jaw. “I’ve already tried retrieving it, i-it’s impossible.” Magnus noticed the pain in her eyes and his expression softened.

“Lucretia, where is the animus bell?” He took her hand.

“A place called Wonderland. I tried trekking there with a guide and it didn’t…” She took a deep breath. “It didn’t end well,” Lucretia turned her gaze to Magnus. “I barely made it out of there. In order to make it through, you have to sacrifice things. Things you didn’t know you cared about until they’re gone. I can see how the gears have been turning in your mind, you‘re trying to figure out how I aged nearly thirty years in only twelve...” She stopped. “You know me, I’m not a vain woman. Other things take priority over my appearance. But giving up twenty years of your life, you… You don’t recognize yourself anymore. Something like that changes your whole life. I had to adapt, to become a leader before I even knew who I was leading and what I was leading them to. The journal keeper was gone and I didn’t know who I was anymore.” She looked at her lap, closing her eyes. Magnus wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

“You’re Madam Director. You’re the most powerful woman I’ve ever met.” Magnus smiled encouragingly. “Lucy, remember the cycle when the judges killed us, save for you? You were so amazing, and so brave. I wouldn’t have been able to do it in your position.” He noticed her still stressed expression and nudged her playfully. “Hey, remember when we met Fisher? And we spent so many nights with them all in that cave and Fisher just _loved_ splashing you with water!” Lucretia giggled quietly, finally letting herself go.

“Fisher almost ruined my journals! But you just thought it was _so_ funny,” Magnus snorted in response.

“Because it was.” He pointed out, then they both heard a noise in the doorway. The duo turned to see Davenport in the doorway, awkwardly waving to get their attention. Lucretia nodded.

“You can retire for the day if you’d like, Davenport. It isn’t that late yet, but you’ve done a good job today,” She waved him away, then stopped. “Actually… Would you like to stay for a drink?” She eyed the tank, then smiled at Magnus. “I think you might find it… Enlightening.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> April Fools, I got restless sitting on this chapter and needed to post it early! Thank you so so much for reading and stay tuned because there will be a ton more in store!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks all for reading and for the absolutely lovely reviews! :D I appreciate it all so much, it really helps me keep up the motivation to keep going! I hope you enjoy the next chapter and I'll see you next week!

“So, what were you up to while you trapped in umbrella town?” The twins walked- well, Lup floated while Taako walked- through the forest after hours of wandering. It seemed familiar, but Taako didn’t quite know why.

“Just kind of sitting there, it was boring as hell. I knew it was you though, so even if you couldn’t remember, you wouldn’t leave me hanging. And at least once or twice a day, I’d yell for you to let me the fuck out in case you were listening.” Lup shrugged. “It wasn’t that exciting. What about you? What did you do with your decade of forgetting?”

“Y’know, became a star. I was so famous with my cooking show that everyone came to see Sizzle It Up With Taako.” He waved his hands up in the air when announcing the title for more emphasis. “I did that for a few years and can I just say? It was chill as hell. Well, except for when…” He stopped, remembering the incident at Glamour Springs. Clenching his fists at his sides, he regained his composure. “Ah, how it ended doesn’t matter, I was a star like I’ve always wanted!” He beamed, trying not to notice his sister still staring at him, reading him like a book.

“Taako, how did Sizzle It Up end?” She asked, stopping in front of him along the dirt road they were traveling on. Taako closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He couldn’t lie to Lup. It would be hard, but he had to tell her the truth. Besides, she could see through his bullshit smile and she wouldn’t leave him alone until he said something.

“Well sis, I killed a town.” He looked her in the eyes, any emotion gone from his expression and his voice. “I fucked up beyond repair. I don’t know how, I-I think I mixed up a spell or two in transmuting the ingredients… But it doesn’t matter how; I killed all the people in Glamour Springs who came to my show. They ate my food and they just…” Taako clenched his jaw, trying to fight back his emotions. “I didn’t even sample it, that’s what’s so fucked up about it, y’know? If I tasted the food like normal, I would have died with them, like I deserved.” Lup stared at her brother for a second before closing the gap between them and hugging him tightly. Taako held back tears, resting his head on the spectral shoulder of his sister.

“Taako, you know it couldn’t have been your fault. Despite what you think, I know you’re not capable of hurting anyone innocent like that.” Lup murmured to him, rubbing his back. “You don’t have to talk about it anymore, okay?” Taako nodded, wiping his eyes as he backed away from her. They walked in silence for a bit, then their surroundings became more familiar. Taako realized and nearly stopped, looking around. This was the place where they’d stopped for the night on their quest to bring Gundren’s things to Phandalin. They kept walking, but the familiarity kept teasing at him. He knew they must be getting close. Barry wouldn’t have kept himself very far from them.

“Are we any closer to finding Barry?” Taako tripped over a log, giving his twin sister a dirty look as she snickered. “Cuz not all of us can just float over shit.”

“I think it could be just up ahead. I feel like that dork would have a secret hideout cave.” Lup stopped in her tracks, seeing the entrance to a cavern. “Told you,” she created a small pillar of flame, acting much like a torch.

“Can I just say, despite the death and destruction looming over us, it’s good to have you back? Because no one else would drag me into a creepy cave to find their boyfriend,” Taako looked all around the cavern walls before they came to a stop. He peeked around her and saw a large room with maps and diagrams all over, tracking the relics and the Bureau. “Hey Barold, if you’re in here start talking!” Taako called out, his voice echoing.

“Taako?” That familiar gruff voice called out. “Is that you?” It sounded shocked that he was even there, let alone calling his name.

“Yeah, and we’ve got some fuckin news for you. Don’t go all spooky, cuz I’m over it now that I know who you are.”

“Wait, how do you know who I am? And who’s ‘we?’” The familiar red robed form made its way around the corner before stopping in front of them. “Oh my god…”

“Yeah my dude, your girlfriend’s back-” Barry interrupted him by taking off full speed at Lup, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her like she would disappear any second. Taako stepped aside for them to reunite. They needed to get back to the base, but he knew how much they needed this moment with each other and decided they could have some time together. The two embraced, Barry holding onto Lup like he was afraid that he was going to lose her again. He examined every inch of her, trying to memorize how holding her felt, how every bit of her moved, so he would never be in danger of forgetting anything about being with her.

“Lup, I-I searched for you every single day. I thought you were gone, I thought this would never work.” Barry cupped her cheek, his voice shaking. Lup held him closer to her, afraid that he would disappear at any moment. “W-where did you… What happened?” He shook his head. Lup held his face- well, what she could see of it- in her hands, her form wavering slightly as emotions she hadn’t felt in a decade threatened to overtake her.

“Babe, I can’t even describe how good it feels to see you,” Lup leaned into his embrace. “I was stuck in that damn umbrella, I tried escaping for so long that it felt like I would never see you again but it’s so good to finally have you here. Barry, I love you so much and I swear to you that I’ll never leave your side.” She held onto him with everything she had. Taako awkwardly shuffled his feet but didn’t interrupt, knowing they needed this time.

“I tried so hard to find you. And when I found Taako, Merle, and Magnus they didn’t remember so I couldn’t just push them into this and… God, trying to do what’s right for this world while Lucretia pushed me away was so hard,” Barry pressed his forehead against Lup’s. “I’m just so happy you’re here.”

“Hey, I know you two are in love and I dig it, really I do, but we came here for a really specific reason.” Barry looked to Taako, nodding in understanding.

“Yeah, I figured,” Barry laughed. “I wouldn’t think you, with all your memories intact, and Lup, somewhat alive, would just be stopping by to say hi. I mean, you would, because eventually we’d have to say hi to each other, but it seems like you’ve got a lot going on.”

“Well, here’s the thing, hon,” Lup floated over to the table, somehow managing to lounge on the top casually despite the fact that she wasn’t fully solid. “Lucretia’s been found out and the Hunger’s coming. So it’s time to figure out a plan, I think once we get the Light back together, we’ll have an easier time figuring out exactly what to do. Magnus is with her now and I’m pretty sure they’re going to help Cap’nport and Merle remember too.”

“I don’t know about this, if I’m being quite honest with you two.” Barry sighed deeply, looking around at them. “Lucretia’s tried so hard to keep me away from her. I’ve had to play this part of a mysterious, somewhat sinister being because she got it in your heads that we were bad instead of a family who was just trying to help the worlds we went to,” he began to pace. “I know we spent 100 years together, but something seems too different about her in my opinion. Ten years ago, I thought we were ride-or-die, that none of us would ever just… Force everyone to forget, t-to not know what we’d been through or who we’d been through it with. I can’t bring myself to believe that if it were to go south again, she wouldn’t hesitate to erase everything a second time.” Barry ran his fingers through his hair, despite the fact that we was still in his red-robed lich form.

“Barry, I know she’s done some… Questionable things,” Taako laughed uncomfortably, making eye contact with Lup. “But I think she’s really trying to do some good. I mean, the fact that she didn’t just take Lulu and erase her again kind of shows that she needs us,” he walked over to Barry, nudging him. “Can you imagine her face when you take the fuckin’ high road and  _ don’t _ blow up and argue about what happened?”

“Or,” Barry turned to him. “I could blow up and argue about what happened so she doesn’t try anything else.”

“Yeah, dealer’s choice, my guy.” Taako laughed.

“Taako, were you inoculated by the other voidfish up there?” Barry started to gather some supplies, floating around his cave and shoving various items into a bag. He noticed Taako staring in confusion and laughed. "I was up there, remember when your roommate got caught? That was me doing reconnaissance work, I've seen into her back room."

“Mmhm, well, Lucretia helped us remember from the baby voidfish. I even have some of the shit water,” Taako reached into his bag and pulled out a small flask. “Why?” His eyes followed Barry darting around the room somewhat frantically.

"Well, I’ve been doing a sort of experiment for a while now, and I’m going to need some of that,” Barry pulled back a curtain to reveal a large tank filled with green, brackish fluid. Taako squinted at the tank, then immediately ran over to it, putting his hands against the glass.

“Barold, is that… You? Naked? In this weird-ass tank?” Taako’s jaw dropped as Barry nodded. Lup floated over, looking it up and down.

“So, we’re going to have you back in your beautiful body?” She smiled, turning to face him.

“Yeah, so you might wanna grab some clothes from that trunk over there, because I’m going to be  _ very  _ naked when I come outta there.” Taako handed Lup the flask, then ran to the trunk, not wanting to see him naked any longer than he needed to. “I’ll know some things about myself, but you’ll have to give me the ichor before I can really understand anything. So, just hand me my clothes and the flask when I get out and everything should be fine!” The red robed form floated backwards into the tank, causing the Barry inside to twitch, then move more frantically and open the tank. He stepped out, coughing, then looked to Lup and Taako in confusion. “Well, this is… Somethin’ else.” Taako shoved the clothes in his direction. “Thanks, bud. You uh, wanna explain what’s goin on or…?” Barry pulled on the sturdy denim pants before putting on his glasses. Taako grinned before standing in front of Barry and clearing his throat.

“Okay, so your name is Greg Grimaldis. You’re the youngest son in a long line of Dragon Climbers. Your lifelong mission is to find a dragon and make love to it before— Ow, Lulu!” Taako turned suddenly, feeling a small flame hit his back.

“He knows his fucking name and most of who he is, dingus. He just can’t remember anything the Voidfish has taken from the rest of the world.” Barry physically cringed, hearing the last part of her sentence turn to static.

“What was that? You, uh, went all weird at the end there.” Barry pulled on his shirt, tucking it into his jeans. “Usually I have some kind of guidance at this point but my coin isn’t sayin’ much. Are you guys gonna explain anything or…?” He looked around the cave, tapping his foot a little impatiently.

“Alright, babe, you just have to drink this, okay? You’ll understand in a second, it’ll explain everything for you.” Lup handed the flask to him. He took it carefully, looking it over. Taako nodded in agreement, giving him a thumbs up.

“Okay, fuck it.” Barry shrugged before taking a swig. He coughed, then his eyes widened as every memory came back in a rush. He didn’t seem in as much pain as Taako was upon drinking, he must have been used to the sensation of all of his memories coming back after dying and coming back in his lich form so many times before. After a minute, he relaxed, stretching his arms as his eyes immediately went to Lup. “I have something I have to do now that I know you’re somewhat alive,” Barry walked over to a thick tome, opening to a certain page. He pulled out a folded note, smiling a little. “I kept the note you left. I-I didn’t know if it would ever be good for anything other than a sentimental keepsake, but… Well, I’ll explain in a second.” He walked over to the tank, dropping the note inside. Lup and Taako watched curiously until he turned around, beaming. “In a few months, you’ll be back. This tank uses a person’s DNA to grow their body. It’s how I’ve been coming back consistently. I never thought I’d get this chance, but since I know you’ll be here, I want you to be back completely.” Barry grinned at her, pushing his glasses up his nose. Taako and Lup exchanged a look, a big smile spreading across Taako’s face as he realized that he would finally have his sister back.

“Barry, I know I tell you this all the time, but I fucking love you.” Lup hugged him the best she could in her lich form. He grinned, looking up at her floating a few inches above his eye level.

“I fucking love you too, Lup.” He chuckled, trying to hold her hand without letting it phase through him. Taako stretched his arms, picking up a discarded denim jacket from the floor nearby a pile of blankets that he assumed was Barry’s makeshift bed. Pulling it on, he looked from Barry to Lup.

“We good? Ready to go yell at Lucretia and try to save the world again?” He asked, oblivious to the fact that he just took Barry’s jacket without a second thought. Barry nodded, smiling a little.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Upon his approval, Taako started leading the way out of the cave. “You’re gonna give my jacket back eventually, right?” Barry called up to him.

“Nope, it’s mine now!” Taako poked his head back in, gave them both finger guns, then backed out of the room. Barry and Lup both shook their heads in unison, laughing together for the first time in a decade.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucretia knew she’d made a mistake. She had taken so much from Davenport and she never realized that somehow, he’d eventually remember it all and get it back. If Taako and Magnus’ minds struggled to handle it, it might be entirely too much for Davenport.

“Davenport, don’t try to think ahead, just let it come to you,” Lucretia murmured softly, kneeling in front of him. After taking a sip, his eyes widened and his whole body tensed up as the ichor began to have its effect on him. Davenport’s hand twitched, dropping the glass. Magnus rushed forward, grabbing the glass before it shattered on the floor. Lucretia watched his expression shift and his eyes dart around, looking at nothing in particular. “Let’s slowly walk through this. The mission started with the seven of us, the ones who had been chosen from the Institute to go explore and learn about the planes. Two months turned into a hundred years, and you led us bravely, piloting the ship better than I had ever seen.” She held onto his hand, hoping desperately that it wouldn’t be too much at once. “I know it’s a lot, it’s nearly your whole life coming back to you, please just take it slow, okay Davenport?” Magnus sat beside him, holding onto the cup nervously. The dull tapping of his nails against the glass cup was the only sound in the room aside from Davenport’s shaky breaths.

“Cap’nport? Is it too much?” He got no response and tensed up, looking to Lucretia. “M-maybe this wasn’t the right decision. Lucy, I think he had too much taken from him,” Magnus began to look worried. “Just breathe, don’t think too much, it might be way too much for you-” Davenport placed his hand on Magnus’ knee, taking a few deep breaths. Even when his mind was on the verge of collapsing in on itself, he still wanted to make sure the others were alright.

“I-I’m okay, Magnus.” Davenport trembled, still dealing with the aftershocks of having his entire life come back to him in just a short amount of time. His hand shook as he tried to reassure Magnus that he was fine. “I-it’s just a lot to handle, I guess…” Lucretia threw her arms around him, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Davenport, I’m so sorry. I tried to make things right, I just wanted to help, I didn’t mean to have it go this far…” Davenport rubbed her back before pulling away, trying to stand up, but stumbling a little as his body still shook from the shock.

“Who else knows? All seven of us?” He asked, leaning against the wall slightly. Lucretia shook her head in response.

“Magnus and I know, you obviously know now. Taako and Lup know as well and went out to find Barry, hopefully he hasn’t gotten too far from here,” she explained to him. He stopped, turning on his heel to face her, clapping his hands together and pointing toward them both.

“Wait, wait, Lup? She’s alive?!” Davenport began to get excited, then winced, feeling his head throb. “How did you find her, I-I thought she was gone forever.”

“We found her by mistake. Y’know Taako’s umbra-staff?” Magnus chimed in. “Apparently her lich form had gotten stuck inside of it when her body died, so we kind of… Broke it in half, and bam! There she was!” He shrugged. “It was pretty dope, not gonna lie.” Davenport laughed, then felt more memories rush at him, causing him to double over.

“Why did you do this to us, Lucretia?” He held his head, feeling a headache come back. He began to pace as Lucretia sat down, toying with her hands nervously. “We were trying to fix our mistakes and then suddenly we were changed completely.”

“I… Was scared.” She admitted almost sheepishly. “We’d done so much to this world, I was scared that something even worse would happen if we let it go on even longer.” Lucretia kept wringing her hands together, her gaze never leaving her lap. “I know I could have just erased it from the rest of the world and kept our memories, but it had been taking its toll on all of us and I didn’t want to see any of you suffering. Creating the relics was a mistake, I-I realized that and this was the only way my mind could conceive of fixing things. I’m so sorry, Davenport, I know I’ve just done more harm than good, but we need to come up with a plan before midsummer.” Davenport’s head suddenly snapped up and he stopped pacing.

“Oh my god…  _ That’s _ what happened at the midsummer festival last year?!” He ran his fingers through his hair, stressed out. “We need the ship, Lucretia. Where’s the Starblaster?” He took a seat once more. “We need to have it so we can have a fighting chance against the Hunger.”

“Well, I had Lucas Miller build a hangar for it. I can’t remember its exact location, but I know it’s here on the moon base.” She looked through a stack of maps and blueprints. “It’s a shame he was lost in the incident with his lab, otherwise he could have been a huge help to us.” Lucretia sighed deeply, not finding the parchment she was looking for. “I think we’ll have to go back into his lab and try to search for the blueprints there.”

“Well… Maybe we uh, faked the bit about him… Dying?” Magnus laughed nervously, rubbing his neck. “He’s not so much dead as he is alive, so he probably can still help us.” He shrugged as Lucretia and Davenport pinched the bridges of their noses simultaneously.

“You lied to us about him dying?” Lucretia gave him a look of disapproval that Magnus just shrugged off, not intimidated by her anymore.

“You took 100 years away from us, I think this is a little less extreme than that,” he pointed out, causing Davenport to snicker. Lucretia threw her hands in the air in exasperation as she realized that most of her arguments were going to be countered like that.

“Fine, you’re right. At this point, we can use all the help we can get.” She sighed, taking a seat at her desk. The sound of thudding echoed through the hallway outside and light chatter replaced the silence they were used to.

“We’re baaack!” They heard a door get kicked open and realized who the voices came from. Taako sauntered  into Lucretia’s office, followed by Lup and Barry, who looked around at his friends and waved a little before making eye contact with Lucretia. His eyebrow quirked up as his jaw clenched, his decade of pent up anger coming to the surface.

“Barry!” Lucretia stood up, amazed to see him in his human form. “I’m so relieved to see you, I thought it was going to take so much longer to find you-” She stopped as Barry held up his hand.

“We need to fucking talk, Lucretia. Because you’ve made my last ten years absolute hell.” He nearly spat the last words. “It’s been a nightmare of a decade, and it’s completely your fault!” He started raising his voice. “The  _ second  _ I realized what was happening, I had to have Taako kill me and become a fucking lich in order to stop what you were doing to me!”

“Barry please, let me explain…” Lucretia sighed, closing her eyes. “I know what I did was wrong, I just—“

“You just what? Thought you could erase whatever happened like it was nothing? That you could take Lup away from me, or from her own brother?!” Barry’s voice cracked and he clenched his jaw, lowering his voice. “Lucretia, we were a  _ family. _ Family doesn’t do that to each other. Whatever you thought you were doing to help doesn’t matter, you can’t just… You can’t just control the world like that. We could have helped, you only needed to ask. You didn’t have to do this alone, you didn’t need to isolate yourself and change everyone’s lives without them knowing.” His rage seemed to be set aside, his tone and stance becoming softer as he made eye contact with her once again. “I know you were scared, Lucretia. We all were. That doesn’t give you an excuse to change everything without them knowing.” Barry inhaled deeply, seeing the hurt on Lucretia’s face. “I’m still pissed off… You know I am, but… I was there to help back then, a-and I guess I’m still here to help now, so,” Barry pushed his glasses up his nose before giving Lucretia a half-smile. “What’s the plan, Luce?” She pushed forward and gave him a soft hug, relieved that his rage had passed, if only for a second. He held onto her tightly, laughing. “Didn’t expect that after all these years.” She pulled away, looking down at her feet.

“I’m so sorry, Barry. I should have let you in on this, but it just… I saw how much losing Lup hurt you, I didn’t want to see you like that any longer. But I am so, so sorry and I hope you’ll just be able to put all of this aside, just until we stop the Hunger. Afterwards, feel free to scream at me as much as your heart desires.” She smiled a little, looking up at him. “Deal?”

“Deal.” Barry chuckled in response. “I’ll write a long-winded speech for you to look forward to,” He stood over by Davenport, patting him on the back. “I gotta say, I missed the seven of us being together like this. Well, more like the six of us, but—“ Barry was interrupted by a confused grunt from behind them.

“What the  _ hell _ is going on here?!” They heard a familiar dwarven voice shout from the doorway.

“No, you’re right, babe. Seven of us.” Lup pointed out as they all turned to see Merle standing in the doorway, his arms crossed as he looked around the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeyyyy, sorry that it's a day late! I hope you all enjoy it, after the next chapter, it's gonna pop off and the hunt for the Grand Relics is gonna start, so stay tuned for that! Thank you so so much for reading and let me know what you think!

_ “I gotta say, I missed the seven of us being together like this. Well, more like the six of us, but—“ Barry was interrupted by a confused grunt from behind them. _

_ “What the  hell is going on here?!” They heard a familiar dwarven voice shout from the doorway. _

_“No, you’re right, babe. Seven of us.” Lup pointed out as they all turned to see Merle standing in the doorway, his arms crossed as he looked around the room._

~~~~~

“I just got back and saw Taako running through the quad and come in here just to hear a shitload of static and-- Is that a fucking ghost?!” Merle pointed to Lup, confused out of his mind. “What’s going on in this secret office, is there more I don’t know?” Lucretia took a deep breath, looking back at her friends behind her. Taako, who now lounged on Magnus’ lap, shrugged while pointing to the tank.

“Guess ya gotta just have a drink with us, Merle.” He adjusted his jacket. Merle’s eyes scanned the room before stopping on Barry.

“Is that Billy Bluejeans? The guy who died in Phandalin?” Merle stepped forward, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah bud, that’s me. Why don’t you have a seat like Taako suggested and we can explain everything?” He gestured to a small armchair that Davenport had occupied during his inoculation only a short while earlier. Merle waddled on over, his eyebrows still furrowed in confusion and distrust.

“Is the drink gonna calm my nerves or somethin’? Cuz I gotta tell ya, I really need that right now.” He sat down, toying with his beard nervously. Lucretia dipped the same glass in the tank, wiping the excess off of the side before handing it to him.

“Merle, I promise you that everything’s going to be explained, you just have to trust us.” Lucretia tried to sound supportive as Merle shrugged as if to say “fuck it,” and downed the glass in one drink. He started to feel dizzy and Davenport stood beside the chair, holding his hand as if to keep him grounded. Merle’s century came back with as many surprises as the rest of them, but most of all he remembered John. The Hunger was still on its way and Merle knew he wasn’t going to go down without one last word with him.

"Can’t believe I forgot all that shit,” Merle finally spoke up, shaking his head. He squeezed Davenport’s hand and looked to Lucretia. “So what, we just try to get the light all together and fight them off?” He sat up straighter, looking around. “Do we have a plan yet?”

“No, that’s why we needed to inoculate you.” Lucretia started to push her desk into the middle of the room as a sort of conference table. Magnus immediately jumped up to help, knocking Taako off his lap. After centering it in the room, she spread out a map, setting books on each corner to keep it flat. “I know where the last two relics are, it’s just that… Well, we haven’t heard from Refuge in a long time, and the Animus Bell is going to be nearly impossible to get to.” Lucretia walked over to a shelf as she talked, pulling a journal out and dusting off the cover. “I’m going to be frank… There’s a chance that one of you wouldn’t make it if we sent you to get the Animus Bell. It’s in a place called Wonderland, out in the Felicity Wilds.” She circled the location on the map, pulling a flyer from the journal and unfolding it. Taako immediately grabbed it, looking it over.

“This place looks both gaudy and tacky as hell. Just judging by the flyer, I love it already,” he set it back on the desk. “It’s obviously a trap, but one that I would not mind getting caught in.”

“It’s an endless maze of horrors and trials that push you to your breaking point and beyond,” Lucretia sighed, closing her eyes. “You make sacrifices and have to do unthinkable things. I… I wouldn’t dare send any of you there to take it on, but unfortunately we don’t have much of an option.” She traced her finger over the map lightly.

“Lucretia, I have an idea.” Barry chimed in. “Lup and I can go there in a few months. I have a new body for her that won’t be ready until then. We do all that we can in the bodies we have, then probably finish the job in our lich forms. It won’t be sending us to our deaths because we always have a second chance!” Lup nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, and we can do whatever research we can in the time being to prepare ourselves for what lies ahead!” She made her way beside Lucretia and tapped the journal. “This is your time in there, right?”

“Right. I wrote everything down, you could use it to try to figure out if there’s any continuing themes or just prepare for the level of torture and sacrifice you’re going to encounter there.” She flipped it open, turning through the pages rapidly.

“Hey, uh, Luce? What about Refuge?” Magnus looked down at the map. “We still have to recover my chalice to get the light all together.” Lucretia stopped, handing the journal to Lup. “Isn’t there a bubble around it because of all the time shit?”

“Oh, yes…” She nodded, biting her lip while deep in thought. “Okay, well, we could… Hm.” Lucretia began to pace, thinking out loud. “We just have to think of a good way to go at it. There’s not much of a way in, but uh… We could always… I don’t know, Davenport?” She turned on her heel to face him. “Is there some way to break through the bubble surrounding the area?”

“Well, I don’t know for sure, but we could try—“

“Great idea, Davenport!” Lucretia interrupted, resuming her pacing. “We could use one of the cannons from the hangar in order to try and burst through just temporarily enough to get ourselves through in order to collect the relic!” She beamed, impressed at her own idea. “I’ll get Avi to start working on it immediately!”

“This was a really great group effort, high fives all around,” Merle snickered, nudging Davenport with his elbow. Taako stood on his tiptoes behind Lup, reading the journal over her shoulder. Magnus stretched, walking over to Lucretia.

“That’s a super solid plan, Luce. There’s a little bit of a problem though. If Barry and Lup are staying behind to do research and the five of us are retrieving the chalice, then how do we all fit in one of the spheres? There’s only four seats in a sphere, one of us would have to squeeze in and that… Could be fatal if we’re bursting through a bubble.” Magnus pointed out, looking down at the map as if it were going to solve the problem for them.

“Yeah, no, I’m good out here,” Taako chimed in. “I wanna go to this Wonderland place instead.” He looked back down to the journal as Lup snapped it shut.

“Taako, you can’t. You don’t have the extra lives Barry and Lup have, you wouldn’t make it out of there!” Lucretia shook her head. “I won’t let you go, what makes you think you could handle it when shit pops off?”

“Um, I’m a dope-ass wizard?” Taako snorted. “I mean, not to brag, Lucretia, but you’ve seen what I’m capable of.” He sat on the desk, wrinkling the map. “Yeah, shit’s gonna be rough there, but I have a fucking ton of magic at my disposal.” Lucretia pushed him over slightly, straightening out the map.

“I trust you, Taako.” Merle chimed in. “If anyone’s strong enough to do it in one shot, it’s you! Besides, you can probably heal a party more effectively than I could. My vote’s for Taako.”

“I vote him too,” Davenport nodded, in solidarity with Merle’s choice. “Obviously Barry and Lup are skilled in magic as well, but Taako just has a quality to him that makes his spellcasting abilities even stronger.” Taako beamed, loving the praise he was getting from his crew mates.

“Wait, there’s no vote!” Lucretia sighed. “I’m saying that I barely made it out of Wonderland alive and I’m scared that Taako won’t be able to, since they’ve definitely stepped up their game since I was there.” She put her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “I know that I can’t ultimately change your mind, but I’m asking you… Please just think about it before making a final decision. If we were to lose you, it would make everything harder. You can’t just come back in the next cycle, this is our last chance.” Taako pulled her hand off his shoulder, but kept it in his own instead of pushing it away.

“Thanks, Lucretia, but I think I’ll be able to handle it. We have a few months before Lup’s good to go, so I’ll still think about it till then, okay? No promises that I’ll change my mind, though.” Taako smiled, trying to convince her that he’d be able to fend for himself.

“That’s all I can ask for, Taako.” Lucretia nodded, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand. “Whatever you choose, I know you’ll be able to make it through.” She looked around the room before clearing her throat. “Well, I have to go talk to Avi and it’s been a long day, why don’t we meet back here tomorrow, say around noon?” She rolled up the map from her desk and Magnus picked it up, carefully putting it back so it didn’t scratch the floor.

“Cool cool, Taako needs a fuckin’ snack,” Taako immediately started walking out of the room. Barry followed behind, elbowing him once they were out of the room.

“Mind if I crash with you, bud? I think staying in that cave would just kind of hinder things and make it more difficult to get up here.” He looked behind them to see if Lup was following.

“Yeah dude, go wild! You and Lup can take my room, I end up crashing on the couch most nights anyways.” They paused, not seeing Lup follow them out of the room. Barry and Taako shared a look before continuing. “She’s fine, she probably wanted to chat with Lucretia or something. What’s the worst that could happen, she dies a second time?” Taako snorted as the pair made their way out into the cool evening.


	6. Chapter 6

Back in the office, Lucretia talked with Davenport, confirming their plans to head to Refuge as soon as possible once she and Avi had managed to figure out how to break through the barrier. Magnus had left to go talk to Fisher, and Merle followed Davenport once his conversation ended. Lup hung back, looking at Lucretia.

“Hey… I feel like there’s still some shit we need to resolve.” Lup floated down to Lucretia’s level, as if she were taking a seat. “I know you’re still scared. I am too. But you have to trust us, okay? There’s no going back now, but it’s going to be alright. We’ve been through a hundred years of this, it’s just another cycle.” She placed her hand on top of Lucretia’s. “I missed you, Lucy.” Lucretia smiled at her.

“I missed you too, Lup. I really am relieved that you’re not lost like we assumed.” She sighed, looking down. After a moment of silence, she spoke up once more. “What are we going to do? Your plan didn’t work, and mine would kill the world. I can’t just cut this world off. If we did that to a world or plane, it would just… Die…” Lucretia trailed off, getting an idea. Lup sat up straighter as she made eye contact with Lucretia, nodding excitedly in agreement.

“It’s the perfect spell if we needed to, I don’t know... Destroy an entire plane?” Lup grinned, seeing an equally wide smile spread across Lucretia’s face. The two laughed and giggled triumphantly, embracing tightly. “We just use your spell to cut off the Hunger from the rest of reality! It’s absolutely perfect!” Lup grinned, then quickly pulled away and left the room, trying to catch up with Davenport and Merle. “Hey, hey! We just came up with the best fucking idea, you’re gonna be blown away by how smart we just were!” Lup stopped in front of them. As she explained their idea, Davenport got a similar grin to the one Lucretia had only a moment ago.

“Lup, I think you’re really onto something here!” Davenport almost bounced in place. “We just might have a chance to be rid of it!”

“Wait, it was this easy the whole time?” Merle looked from Lup to Davenport. “I thought about this three decades ago! I just didn’t say anything because it was a dumb idea,” Merle crossed his arms. Davenport laughed, rubbing Merle’s back.

“We’ll give you partial credit for the idea, Merle.” He smiled as Lup started to wander away. Seeing Barry and Taako across the courtyard, she caught up to them fairly quickly.

“Barry, you can’t sleep on my couch for god knows how long! You have a bad back, you have to take my bed,” Taako looked at Lup and waved. “Hey Lulu, tell your boyfriend that he can’t sleep on our couch. He’s gonna take my bed and I’m gonna sleep on the couch.” Barry sighed, turning to her.

“I don’t want to be a burden, that’s all!” He shrugged.

“You’re not a burden, you’re basically my brother.” Taako pointed out. Lup laughed, wrapping her spectral arms around Barry.

“You can suck it up and sleep in his bed. It’s not like he’s sharing it with you.” She smiled at him. “I can’t believe you’re arguing about what’s polite to do with a living situation. I missed this kind of shit when I was stuck in umbrella town.”

“Sir, I’m glad you’re back!” Taako heard a familiar voice call out and turned, seeing Angus running towards him. “I was worried, everyone seemed to be gone and I didn’t know why— Is that a lich?” Angus stopped in his tracks upon seeing Lup standing there with her arms around Barry and her head on his shoulder.

“Nah, that’s just my sister.” Taako shrugged. Angus adjusted his glasses, trying to go through the information in his head.

“Well, that just raises more questions.” He furrowed his brows. Lup looked Angus up and down and grinned, recognizing him.

“Hey, it’s the little wizard boy! Sorry about the cookies, little dude, I was just trying to get out of that umbrella you know how it is.” She kept leaning against Barry.

“Yeah, uh, I  _ don’t  _ know how it is, really. But it’s nice to meet you! Lup, right? You burned your name into the wall.” Angus reached out tentatively to shake her hand.

“That’s my name, kiddo. I love you, by the way. I could hear everything while I was in my parasol prison and can I just say? You’re the coolest kid I’ve ever met.” Lup beamed at him, taking his outstretched hand and high fiving it. Angus’ polite smile turned into a wide grin and he turned to Taako, who smiled at the scene in front of him.

“She’s pretty great, huh?” Taako chuckled, ruffling Angus’ hair. “Barold, this is Angus. He’s part of the brains of the whole organization up here. Angus, this is Barry, he’s a huge nerd who’s dating my sister.” Barry smiled warmly at Angus.

“You’re the brains of the whole Bureau, huh? That’s pretty impressive, Angus.” Angus began to get embarrassed, not used to being constantly praised like this.

“Well, I wouldn’t say the  _ whole  _ Bureau… I just kinda help Madam Director search for any intel on the relics, that’s all.” Angus took a deep breath.

“Still impressive!” Lup chimed in, a grin visible through her spectral form. “You’re twice as smart as Dipshit over here and half his size!” She nudged Taako, who just shrugged in agreement.

“Yeah, she’s not wrong there.” He paused for a moment. “Hey Angus, we were going to chill back at our place, did you wanna come with? I could bake macarons!”

“That’s very kind of you to offer, sir! I was just on my way to help Leon with a little detective work, but another time?” He beamed, excited that Taako wanted to spend time with him.

“Yeah little dude, sounds like a plan!” Taako grinned as Angus waved and walked back towards the artificer’s dome.

Across the Bureau base, Magnus tapped his foot somewhat impatiently as the elevator to the Voidfish’s chambers descended slowly. The most important thing to him then was just getting to Fisher. The minute the elevator doors opened, he was out. He walked as quickly as he could, finally seeing Fisher completely as he looked up to the tank. For once, he remembered who it was that floated above him. Putting his hand on the tank, Magnus grinned.

“Hey, buddy. Sorry I forgot about you,” Fisher put up a tendril against his hand. “I found your baby. I promise the next chance I get, I’ll bring them to you.” Fisher twirled in their tank and Magnus laughed, hearing a joyful tune burst from them. “Yeah, it’s really good to finally see you too.”

“Wait, you can understand it?” Magnus heard Johann call out from across the room. “Like, the music you hear makes sense linguistically?” He walked over towards Magnus and Fisher.

“Yeah, Fisher’s my guy.” Magnus nodded. “That’s their name, by the way. I spent a few decades with them and you just kinda know someone after something like that, y’know?” Johann looked him up and down, trying to figure out if he was joking or not.

“.... How old are you again? If you spent a few decades with them, you’d have to be a lot older than I think you are,” Johann laughed.

“Yeah, I’m 36 but like, also? Kind of over a century old. It’s a long story, Johann. All you need to know is that we go way back.” Magnus shrugged. Johann snorted, leaning up against his tank with his small harp in hand.

“So, if I have questions about… Fisher, right?” He looked to Magnus for confirmation. Upon seeing Magnus nod, he continued. “If I have questions about Fisher, I can just come to you? Cuz you’re some kind of Voidfish expert?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say ‘expert,” it’s more like I understand them better than most, but yeah, pretty much find me and I can help!” He pat Johann on the shoulder. “Is it cool if I go up there to the catwalk above the tank and talk to Fisher? I know it’s usually off-limits,” Magnus looked up to the stairs that were tucked away behind the tank.

“I mean, you’re probably more qualified to go up there than I am. Go wild, buddy.” Johann shrugged. Magnus grinned and took off running up the stairs.

“Thanks, Johann! You’re being super cool about this and I appreciate it!” He called out as he neared the top of the tank. Magnus settled down on the catwalk as Fisher lifted a tendril up towards him. Magnus took it in his hand and smiled. He began to talk softly, feeling the familiar comfort that had come with being around Fisher. Magnus told them everything. He talked about Raven’s Roost, about the rebellion, about Julia. “You would have loved her, Fisher. She was the most amazing person,” he smiled sadly, thinking about her. “I loved everything about Julia. The way her nose scrunched up when she smiled, the handkerchief she always tied her hair back with. She could kick my ass if she wanted to, and she never hesitated to call me out on my bullshit. And she was so soft… One time, a bird flew into the window of the Hammer and Tongs and she kept it with her for weeks until it was well enough to fly away on its own. And whenever I accidentally cut myself while working on a project, she’d bandage me up, call me a dumbass, and give a gentle kiss to the bandages.” Magnus realized his vision was blurred with tears and wiped them away, straightening his posture. “I miss her.” He sniffed, realizing the tears didn’t stop. He kept wiping them away before Fisher reached a tendril up, placing it gently on Magnus’ face and humming a quiet song. Magnus smiled a little, holding onto the tendril. “Thanks, Fisher,” he murmured softly, genuinely appreciating the caring gesture. The two sat there as Fisher continued his song, trying to help Magnus relax.

That night, the whole Bureau felt more at peace. Taako was in the kitchen, having decided to cook for his friends and invite them over. He took the pastry bag in his hands, chatting lightly with his sister as he made their favorite dessert while the rest of the food cooked. Barry sat in the living room with Lucretia, Davenport, and Merle, discussing various tactics to get the Hunger close enough to cut off from the world, but far enough to keep it from destroying anyone. It wasn’t an urgent conversation; it felt more like a couple of friends discussing their plans for the next weekend rather than how to deal with the danger that had been pursuing them for over a hundred years. Merle had his hand in Davenport’s; the two were almost physically inseparable the entire day, as were Lup and Barry. It seemed as if everyone were trying to make up for the decade they’d lost.

Magnus stepped out of the elevator, looking out at the scene in front of him and any sadness he’d felt was pushed to the back of his mind. It seemed so familiar, but it was something he’d thought he’d lost years ago. Now, as Merle tried to get everyone to dance and Taako set out the food, complaining that Merle was going to dance too hard and knock over the table like he had so many times before, it was like nothing had changed. Lucretia’s eyes met Magnus’ and she raised an eyebrow in a “you okay?” kind of gesture. He nodded, settling down next to her on the couch.

“I’m fine, I was just telling Fisher about my decade,” he said quietly and she instantly understood what he meant. She wrapped an arm around him, hugging him gently. Magnus cracked a small smile, looking over at the table where Taako had set out his snacks. “Hey, wanna grab me a plate?” Taako rolled his eyes, but piled a little bit of everything onto a small plate for Magnus.

“Only because I want you to experience everything I made for you,” Taako handed him the plate and Magnus took it, flashing a big smile in his direction. Lucretia took a macaron off of Magnus’ plate and looked at Taako.

“I’ve said it a million times, but you make a baller cookie, Taako.” He laughed in response, distributing plates to everyone sitting down.

“You know, I was so fucking shocked when you said that at the Candlenights party, but now it’s just normal Lucretia.” Barry looked to her, laughing.

"You said shit like that when you were trying to pass off as this regal figure in charge of an entire organization?” His jaw dropped a little when she nodded.

“Actually, if I remember correctly, she started off with ‘hot diggity shit,’ which makes it even funnier.” Merle chimed in before pulling Davenport to his feet. “Anyone else going to dance with us?”

“We’re cool for now, maybe in a bit, my guy,” Lup wrapped her arms around Barry. Taako lay across Lucretia and Magnus on the couch, and Davenport danced clumsily as Merle cheered him on, eventually joining him as the two did a sort of swing dance together. The smiles on everyone’s faces and the laughter that rang through gave the room a comforting vibe that hadn’t been there in years. They all had missed their family, and they knew that, in that moment, everything was going to work out. Everything was going to be okay for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is the end of the first part! I'm still working on the second, so updates will be less frequent! They'll still be happening, just not as often! Let me know what you think so far! The next part will be the collection of the relics so hang tight for some Refuge and Wonderland action! Thanks to everyone who's been reading, leave your thoughts below and have a great day!


	7. Chapter 7

It had been a good week and a half since coming up with the plan. Lucretia and Avi hadn’t been around much lately; their work trying to get into Refuge had occupied their time completely. The others had been trying to get back into a kind of normal life on the Bureau’s moon base. Taako sat on the floor with Magnus, trying to repair the umbra-staff while Lup and Barry compared notes on Wonderland.

“Why did you have to break it like this?” Taako whined to Magnus as he looked down. He was trying to figure out how to fit everything back together, but was just jamming the two pieces together over and over.

“I’m gonna fix it, I swear!” Magnus held up his hands. “I know how to repair things, it’ll be fine,” Magnus leaned down, examining the pieces. Lup set aside her notes and drifted over to the pair, kneeling beside them.

“This was mine anyways, I made it. You gotta go back to using your wand anyways, Taako.” She looked it over.

“Uh, or I could keep it because I killed more magic users with it than you.” Taako crossed his arms. They’d been having the same argument for days, neither of them having more of a claim to the umbra-staff than the other. Barry groaned, closing the book in front of him and sitting on the ground next to Magnus.

“I’ve told you how to settle this. Lup buys a new wand or magical focus and tests it out, then decides if she would rather have that or the umbra-staff. That way, she is ultimately the decision maker, since it is technically hers.” He shrugged. “The Bureau has an artificer, he can try to see what kind of focus would have the same amount of power as the umbra-staff and recommend something for you.”

“Okay, that’s fair but concept: Taako pays for it since he was the one that took the umbra-staff in the first place.” Lup looked to Taako. “Does that work with you, dingus?”

“Only if we can torture Leon in the process, goofus.” Taako grinned, pushing himself up off the ground. “He  _ absolutely  _ hates me and you know I’m gonna take advantage of that.” Magnus nodded in agreement.

“He does hate Taako, I’ll give him that.” Magnus stood up. “You guys haven’t seen Cap’nport and Merle today, have you?”

“Nah, they’ve just been out for a few days. Heard something about Merle having kids and wanting them to meet Dav.” Barry responded. The other three looked at him in confusion and he snorted. “People tell me things! They think I’m trustworthy.”

“Jokes on them, cuz you’ll use all the dirt on them to cause their downfall.” Lup high-fived him, causing them to go into their secret handshake that they’d spent five cycles perfecting.

“Hey, you said you couldn’t give me a high five because you thought that you’d just phase through me!” Magnus protested, holding his hands out in annoyance. Lup smirked, giving him a low five as he gestured. Magnus just stopped, then grinned, elbowing her spectral form. “Okay, I take any hard feelings back.” Taako scooped up the pieces of the umbra-staff into his arms.

"Let’s go see Leon, we still have tokens we haven’t spent. Maybe I could get Lulu a new magic thingy that way!” He started to head towards the elevator.

“How do you think he’s going to react when he finds out that there’s  _ two  _ of you?” Magnus laughed, then paused as the elevators door opened in front of them. Lucretia stood there, then smiled a little as she saw her friends in front of her.

“We finally figured out a way to breach through to Refuge!” She scrunched her nose in a way that showed she was excited, something she hadn’t done in quite a while. “Avi’s waiting down there, we should definitely head out once Merle and Davenport get back to the base.” She turned her gaze to Magnus. “Are you ready Magnus? I think the sooner we get in, the easier it’ll be to find the chalice and make it out. Besides, we don’t quite know every detail of what’s waiting for us out there. Are you down for some surprises along the way” Magnus grinned, nodding excitedly.

“Yeah, totally! I just gotta get my stuff together.” He stretched, turning to the other three. “Sorry I can’t come with you guys. I would have  _ loved  _ to see Leon’s reaction to seeing that Taako has a twin sister. As if we don’t torture him enough,” he high fived Taako. Lucretia pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing deeply and leaning slightly on her white oak staff.

“It’s  _ you three  _ who’ve been tormenting poor Leon?” She looked them over. “I can’t reprimand Merle because he’s not here, but I expect more from you two than that.” Taako snorted loudly.

“He’s the one that thought we were too stupid to put a fucking token inside a machine. I was just playing along and it got really fun.” He shrugged. “Besides! You’ve known me for over a hundred years, it’s not my fault that you expect more from ol’ Taako!”

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t get too far.” Barry smiled at Lucretia as the three of them walked into the elevator. The minute the doors closed, Barry turned to Taako and Lup. “I’m not actually going to, I just figured that’s what she wanted to hear. I don’t care how much you fuck with this guy. I met him a few days ago and he’s… Somewhat pretentious. And I don’t like the pretentious types.”

“Yeah, but Lucretia’s one of the pretentious types and she’s our friend!” Lup offered. Barry shrugged, giving a sort of “eh” at the mention of Lucretia being their friend.

“Let’s try again: Lucretia’s the family member who got drunk and knocked over all the tables at the potluck.” Taako said, looking somewhat proud of his maybe-too-specific example before seeing their confused faces. He sighed and tried to explain further. “You know, you love her, but she messed things up for the whole family and so she’s on thin fucking ice for a while.” Barry clapped his hands together, pointing to Taako.

“Exactly! You get it!” He shouted in the tiny space, causing Taako to shove him away. Lup snorted in response, wrapping her arms around him.

“You’re such a dork, I can’t believe I find that so endearing” she smiled widely at him.

“A dork who apparently doesn’t have an inside voice.” Taako complained as the elevator doors opened. “Let’s go fuck up Leon’s day.” He stepped out into the cool winter air, still clutching the umbra-staff pieces close to his chest. As they neared the artificer’s dome, Taako grinned at Lup. “Let’s raise some hell, sis.” He opened the doors, seeing Leon looking down at his thick book.

“Hello, how can I help y—“ Leon looked up and stopped, groaning. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Hey Leon, we’ve just got some tokens to spend!” Taako flipped the coin in the air. “Oh, have you met Lup,  _ my twin sister _ ?” He emphasized Lup’s relation to him, a small smile spreading across his face. Any emotion Leon felt up until that point turned to horror as he looked back and forth between Lup and Taako. His expression grew more and more perplexed as he shook his head, trying to figure out what he’d done to deserve twice the punishment.

“I have a coin too!” Lup smirked, knowing exactly what she was doing. “Here, I want to go first.” She placed it into Leon’s hand.

“No, you have to…” He sighed deeply, turning to Taako. “Did you put her up to this?”

“Put me up to what? I just wanna get a cool lil magic thing, my guy!” Lup acted as if she genuinely wanted Leon to help her. “Sooo, can I get a magic thing  _ please _ ?” She put the token in his hand once more. Leon looked to Barry, who seemed like the voice of reason, his exasperated look shifting into something more desperate. Barry acted like he hadn’t noticed as he skimmed through the enormous book that sat on the desk across the room.

“You don’t give it to me, you put it in the machine yourself, over there.” He pointed to the large gashapon machine. “Then, you turn the dial clockwise and something will come out of there.” Lup drifted over, putting her coin in and trying to turn the dial counter clockwise.

“Wrong way, Lulu!” Taako snickered as she grinned, finally turning it the right way as a small capsule came out of the bottom. She carefully picked it up, seeing a carved ruby attached to a necklace.

“Yo, is this in the shape of an explosion? Cuz it sure looks like it and I’m into that!” Lup looked over to Barry, who flipped through the book.

“Okay, so that’s called the Necklace of Evocative Action. Bunch of fancy words, basically it’s a special type of arcane focus that channels evocation magic specifically. Perfect for you, babe!” Barry grinned at her and she dabbed aggressively upon clasping the necklace around her spectral form.

“Fuck yeah, don’t need that umbrella anymore!” Lup danced on over to her brother, who looked down at the broken umbra-staff.

“Well shit, now I have to figure out how to fix this…” He gripped it tightly, furrowing his brows.

“If you don’t mind giving up your token, I’d be willing to repair it for you.” Leon spoke up. “I’d rather fix that than have to see you struggle to put a coin in the right slot.”

“You got yourself a deal, Leon!” Taako grinned, flipping the token in his direction. “I don’t even care about a new item, Lulu got a fuckin dope necklace that’s gonna help her set shit on fire and I get her umbrella that made her look like a clown but makes me cool as hell!” He set the pieces down on the desk.

“Glad to see everything worked out for you.” Leon hopped up onto his chair. “It should be about a week until I have it in working order, so don’t go on any wild adventures till then.”

“Cool cool, thanks!” Taako immediately left the dome, wanting to find something more interesting to do.

“Want to… Go find shit that I can test out my new explode-y necklace on?” Lup followed close behind.

“If I weren’t already using the pod to make a new you, I would have offered to be the experiment you could blow up.” Barry snorted.

"Fuck, I miss being able to blow shit up without caring if I lived or died!” Lup whined, settling face first onto the ground. A familiar voice calling across the base caused Taako to grin, turning to face them.

“Sir, sir! I think I’ve figured out how to cast fireball!” Angus paused to produce a small flame, which jumped out of his hand and nearly hit Barry, who knew enough to jump out of the way. He stopped, his jaw dropping. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, Mister Barry! I thought I had more control over it!” Angus ran to Barry’s side, checking him over for any signs of burns.

“Nah, you’re all good Angus.” Barry chuckled, patting his shoulder. “You know, if you want to get  _ really _ good with fireballs, Lup here is an expert in all things evocation.” Lup lifted her head, immediately getting excited.

“That’s true! Whaddaya say, little man? Wanna play with fire?” She grinned mischievously as Angus nodded repeatedly.

“Oh please, Miss Lup? That would be so helpful!” His eyes turned starry as he smiled at Lup, looking like he was about to have his biggest wish granted.

“C’mon, let’s find a place that’s not as easily flammable as a grassy field.” The group walked towards the arena as Angus kept chattering about how excited he was and how he wasn’t going to let her down. Taako couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, happy that two of his favorite people were becoming closer. Not that he’d ever admit that Angus was one of his favorite people, but if he were pressed on it, he wouldn’t say no. After all, who didn’t have a soft spot for Angus McDonald, the world’s greatest detective?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back with another chapter! I took some time to regroup and re-plot out some stuff because I started taking it in a different direction than I had originally planned! But we're up and running again, it's just going to be more infrequent since my job is picking up hours and I'm about to go on vacation as well! Thank you so much for your patience, I appreciate every comment and every single kudos! Y'all are the best, I'm so grateful to everyone who's read!


	8. Chapter 8

Magnus picked up Lup and Barry’s notes up off the couch, setting them aside so Lucretia could sit. She smiled at him as she settled down.

“Are you ready? I know it’s going to be a little more difficult since we don’t really know what we’re in for, but I’m feeling optimistic!” Magnus nodded in agreement, grinning.

“I’m kind of excited to see how Jack and June are doing! Little June’s gotta be around 14 now,” he bounced a little. “I’m also excited to break out the cargo shorts, I haven’t had a chance to wear them, this last summer was actually kind of chilly.” They heard the elevator’s familiar ding and saw Merle walk into the apartment with Davenport following close by. Merle waved, grinning widely at them.

“Hey kiddos, how’s it goin’?” He greeted them warmly. Davenport noticed Lucretia sit up almost excitedly to speak and he smiled before she could get it out.

“Do we have a way in? Are we heading out?” He was overly excited to be going on some kind of adventure again. Lucretia nodded and he clapped his hands together. “Wonderful! When are we going?”

“Well, as soon as we get the appropriate gear. The Woven Gulch is a lot hotter than you’d expect. Magnus, didn’t you almost get heat exhaustion last time you visited?” She turned to him as he nodded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Y’know, I had my red jacket on and also a pair of thick wool pants, so it was only partially the weather that got to me. The outfit was fine when we were near Neverwinter, but then I got closer to Refuge and uhhh, the desert isn’t the  _ best _ place for warm clothing.” He chuckled. He was keeping a light attitude, but he was secretly terrified of what he was going to find. It wasn’t like the other relics; the damage that must have been done was a silent kind of damage. Where the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet left entire cities and settlements leveled to nothing but a black circle of glass, the Temporal Chalice kept things quiet. Nothing could be wrong on the outside, but everything could have taken a turn for the worst without their knowledge.

“Well, I’ll go get my bag together, let’s all meet in the hangar in about an hour!” Davenport left the room, followed by Lucretia. Magnus started walking towards his room, then turned to Merle.

“So, you’ve got kids?” He asked in a cheery voice. Merle groaned, walking past him.

“Not gonna talk to you about this, Maggie,” he called out, throwing things into his bag as he changed into another flowery button up shirt.

“Hey, I don’t wanna push you! I just think it’s cool that you’re not just ignoring them, having them meet Cap’nport is a good step,” Magnus leaned on the doorframe of Merle’s room.

“Hate to break your optimism buddy, but I  _ was _ ignoring them for a while.” He muttered as he buttoned up his shirt. “Tryna be better though. That’s why I brought Dav to meet them.”

“Well, that’s great. I’m proud of you for turning it around!” Magnus grinned. He left to change his own clothes, then realized he didn’t have any light shirts, just long sleeved or thick ones. “Hey, got anything I can borrow, like a tank top or something?” Magnus wandered back to Merle’s room.

“Mmm, mine are probably too short for you. Try something from ol’ pointy hat’s room.” He pointed down the hall.

“Hell yeah, good plan!” It took all his strength to get Taako’s door open, then noticed stuff scattered all over the floor. It made sense, Lup and Barry had been sharing his room and tended to leave stuff lying around as well. He grabbed the first thing he found in a semi-clean pile and pulled it over his head, hoping it would fit. The logo across the front of the snug tank top was scrawled in some too-flashy style, showcasing the familiar face it advertised. “Hey Merle, check out this fuckin’ great shirt!” Magnus grinned, turning around as Merle came in the room, cackling immediately after seeing what he was wearing.

“He still has a shirt for his own cooking show, like, six years later?” He adjusted his hat. Magnus shrugged in response.

“Y’know, if I had a successful cooking show, I’d keep stuff around too!” Grabbing Railsplitter and his bag, he grinned. “Ready to go?”

“Don’t you want a hat? Something to keep the sun off of you?” Merle asked, looking him over.

“I’ve got my cool guy shades. Do I need anything else?” He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Yes, Maggie. Ya do.” Merle picked a sun hat off of the ground, plopping it onto Magnus’ head. “There, good enough. Might as well just finish the outfit with one of Taako’s flirty skirts or something.”

“The world isn’t ready for me in one of Taako’s flirty skirts,” Magnus snorted in response as he walked towards the elevator. It took no time at all for the two to make their way to the hangar, where they were greeted by Davenport and Lucretia, but also a familiar face who looked elated to be there.

“Hey bud, how the fuck are ya?” Carey grinned, waving to Magnus. Magnus greeted her with their dope handshake that they’d spent weeks working on, which ended with him throwing her into the air for the coolest high five ever. “So, you know Avi’s planetside right now, which means his backup was going to send you out. But Angus is hanging out with Taako and his family so ya girl’s here to shoot you out of a fuckin cannon! The backup’s backup!” Carey walked over to one of the spheres and opened the door.

“You know what, Carey? I trust you with my life, let’s do this!” Magnus cheered, high fiving her as he got in the sphere. The others followed suit, but Lucretia paused before getting in.

“Avi  _ did  _ train you, right? You’re not just goofing?” She placed her hand against the sphere as Carey snorted.

“Yeah, I’m just pretending to know how to fire the spheres so I can yeet my best friend into the desert for fun.” She said in a sarcastic voice as Lucretia crossed her arms.

“Carey, that’s something you  _ would  _ do.” Her deadpan expression didn’t change as Carey cackled, clutching her stomach as she doubled over in laughter.

“Ya got me. I know how to use it, but it’s gonna be fun to launch Mags out into the fuckin sky.” She wiped her eyes as Magnus laughed in the sphere.

“Carey just know that I can launch you into the sky any time I want to!” He called out. Lucretia pinched the bridge of her nose, eventually getting into the sphere.

“Let’s… Just get going.” She sighed deeply. Carey made sure they were all sitting right, then launched the cannon, shooting them towards the Woven Gulch. Davenport kept a firm grasp on the brake, making sure they made it safely. Even after all that time, Davenport still needed to have control over the mission. Magnus knew Davenport was going to try to take the lead, and he was okay with it. Maybe some kind of order was what the gang needed. After all, they’d been bullshitting their way through every adventure so far,  _ someone  _ had to end up being the voice of reason. Lucretia noticed him just staring out the window, acting slightly aloof. She nudged him gently, getting his attention. He jumped slightly, then let out a deep breath, trying to smile.

“Hey, Luce,” He ran his fingers through his hair. “We’re almost there, huh?”

“Are you doing okay? You seem worried.” She squeezed his hand.

“Yeah, totally fine! Just worried, kinda like every adventure. It’ll pass when I’m in the moment.” He lied, knowing this mission was going to be completely different. For one, he knew nothing about the effects of the relic on the town of Refuge. And having all of his memories restored was still a toll on him, no matter how he tried to cover it up. Lucretia looked him over, obviously not buying it. She shrugged anyway, knowing it wasn’t worth fighting him on. Davenport saw a cannon identical to the one in the Bureau’s hangar and pulled the brake. Avi waved with a cheerful grin as the team’s sphere landed.

“Hey guys, great to see you! It’s been a while!” He wiped sweat from his forehead with a greasy rag as he leaned against the cannon. “So, this idea is kind of crazy, but it’s just crazy enough to work.” He paused for a minute, turning to the cannon. “We are… Going to shoot the sphere into the side of the bubble and see if you burst through.” Merle laughed a little hysterically, shaking his head.

“You’re kidding, right?” He looked around to see if anyone else was laughing, then stopped. “You’re not kidding… Oh shit.”

“Ah, it’s not dangerous! … I-I think?” Avi went quiet as Merle threw his hands into the air.

“Oh yeah, that puts me  _ waaaay _ at ease!” He complained as Davenport nodded, walking towards the other sphere. 

“A little adventure never hurt anyone, Merle! C’mon, the sooner we start the mission, the sooner we can get it over with. It might take weeks or something, we don’t know what’s waiting for us.” Lucretia followed him as both Magnus and Merle hung back.

“You scared too, Maggie?” Merle asked quietly.

“Kind of? Scared of the unknown, scared I fucked this town up beyond repair…” He sighed deeply. “Guess we kinda just have to rush in and help save the day like normal, right Merle?”

“Guess so. Since Taako isn’t here, are we Dos Horny Boys?” Merle held his hand out. Magnus laughed, taking his hand.

“Were we Tres Horny Boys before?” He asked curiously.

“Yeah, I’ve been calling us that for months, it’s just never caught on for some weird reason.” He shrugged in response, climbing into the sphere.

“For  _ some _ reason,” Lucretia looked at him. “That reason being nobody wants to say that phrase out loud.”

“Tres Horny Boys has a great ring to it! Back me up here, Magnus! Do you think Tres Horny Boys works as a nickname?” Magnus avoided eye contact, pretending to pay attention to Avi outside the sphere.

“Oh, looks like Avi’s saying time to go! Can’t answer now Merle, that’s a safety hazard.” He sat back in his chair, facing forward like a responsible sphere-traveler. Avi counted down and suddenly, they were gone. It felt like a split second before they breached, everything suddenly turning white. Magnus opened his eyes and saw an old woman before him. She straightened up, letting out a small gasp.

“It’s you…” She called out as Magnus struggled to remember her slightly familiar face. “Please… Come find me.” She reached towards him. Magnus shook his head as the whiteness consumed them, nearly blinding him. He sat up, gasping as the same blinding light shone in his eyes.

“J-June?” He asked quietly as the bright desert sun shone in his eyes, making him realize one thing. They’d done it. They’d made it into Refuge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, I'm back! What a wild time, amiright? Whew, finally got this fuckin' chapter off my chest. This is where it starts getting real, I hope you're all ready for a bumpy ride! Let me know what you think, thanks so so much for reading! I appreciate you all so much!


	9. Chapter 9

Magnus reflexively shielded his eyes from the bright sun. Squinting into the distance, he saw the town he thought he’d never see again. A million thoughts ran through his mind, but all he could focus on was what he saw in that white space. That woman looked so much like June, but it had only been around a decade. At the most, she would’ve been a young adult, but she was… So much older than that. Things had to be way worse than he anticipated. He shook the thought away as a voice brought him back down to reality.

“We made it in!” He looked behind himself and saw Davenport brushing some red dust off his pants, standing up. “I can’t believe that worked!” Merle and Lucretia stood up as well, looking around at the red clay all around.

“Hello, strangers!” The crew now faced the town and the shadow looming over them. “Please, identify yourselves!” Magnus turned to see a suit of armor with a small bird on its shoulder. What looked like blood seeped out of the joints in the armor, but he was quickly relieved to find that it was just red clay, similar to what the town was built upon. He smiled warmly, opening his mouth to explain their situation, but was beat by Lucretia, who was obviously eager to get on with the mission.

“We’re members of an organization trying to save Faerun from destruction. There’s this chalice we’re looking for and I know it’s in this town, if you’ll excuse us.” She started to walk past them and Magnus laughed a little, jogging in front of her in order to stop her.

“Well Lucretia, before we really jump into this, we oughta introduce ourselves, right?” He smiled at them, holding out a hand. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Roswell, the deputy of this town. Before I let you in, I’d like to know your names as well.” They shook his hand. Magnus caught on to the fact that the bird and the elemental seemed to be one and he nodded in response, not wanting to be rude to them.

“Gotcha, gotcha, totally understand, super cool. Well, my name’s Magnus Burnsides. These are my friends Lucretia, Davenport, and Merle. As Lucretia mentioned, we’re here to find a cup that’ll help us in our journey!” He noticed the rest of them staring and gave them a look as if to say “I’ll explain later.” Roswell sat for a moment, deep in thought, then turned to the group once more.

“Well, Sheriff Isaak didn’t say anything about visitors, but I don’t have any reason to distrust you, so why don’t we wait at the sheriff’s office and y’all can discuss with Sheriff Isaak once he gets in!” Roswell began to lead the group into the entrance gate to the town of Refuge.

“Roswell, was it?” Davenport piped up, trotting along to keep pace with them. “Roswell, what we need to do is kind of time sensitive, I don’t know that we have the time to wait for the sheriff. Have you heard of any magical chalice in this town that may be of interest?” He continued giving details without fading into static, since that might cause Roswell to distrust the team. Magnus looked around at the town as they walked, then nudged Merle when they reached a statue in the center of town.

“Is that…” Merle adjusted his glasses. “Is that you?” The others stopped and gazed at the bright red clay that made up the robe of the figure in the middle of two people, a man and a little girl. Magnus nodded, admiring the handiwork.

“Yup. That’s me,” he stretched. “Years ago when I visited this town the first time.” He looked down at the script on the base of the statue and raised an eyebrow. “By their sacrifice, our home is made safe.” He murmured to himself, reading it aloud. He looked up at Roswell for a moment. “Uh, Deputy Roswell? What does this mean?” He gestured to the statue.

“Oh, well that’s the Visitor! He came to Refuge quite a while ago. When Jack and June were still here.” He nodded. “Sadly, they were lost, but that’s what the inscription means. “By their sacrifice, our home is made safe.” What they have helped make our home safer! That’s why the bubble is all around, to protect our town!” Magnus’ stomach dropped.

“W-wait, June and Jack… They’re dead?” He asked quietly.

“I don’t like using that particular term, but yes. It’s sad, but they helped make the town great and so we have to protect their legacy!” Roswell continued leading them to the sheriff’s office. Magnus followed farther behind, his brows furrowed. He didn’t know what to think of the situation, he lost the only reasoning he had for seeing that old woman in the white space. Roswell pauses in the middle of the sheriff’s office and cleared their throat.

“If you could wait here, I think Sheriff Isaak should be in any minute.” They watched Magnus walk over to their desk curiously and sighed. “Please, don’t mess with anything.”

“No, I was just looking at this.” Magnus gestured to a few broken chairs. “Do you mind if I rebuild these into one big sturdier chair? I think a bench might work and it wouldn’t be easily broken.” He knelt down and began picking up the pieces.

“Oh, well that would be really swell! I’m going to head up to the elder’s manor to see if Isaak is there, y’all wait here, okay? I shouldn’t be too long.” Roswell shuffled out of the room and Magnus looked up to his friends, beginning to rebuild the chairs.

“Hey, what was that back there? Did you just uhhh, I don’t know, forget how to have a conversation? You have to remember, this is a tiny town with a hundred or so residents, we’re the odd ones out! We can’t just waltz in asking a million questions about the chalice!” He continued building as Davenport spoke up.

“We don’t have all that much time. The quicker we can rebuild the Light of Creation, the quicker we can figure out exactly how to cut off the Hunger!” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “We have to get all the information we can, drill the locals until we know everything they know. Talking and getting every bit of info is vital to what we’re trying to accomplish here and we have to do it quick.”

“But we also have to do as little damage as possible. If we go making friends and talking up a storm, they could be dragged into whatever consequences lay at the end of this town.” Lucretia pointed out, not purposefully trying to argue with Davenport, but absolutely not agreeing with him in any way.

“Hey, uh, maybe if we’re just pleasant to people, they might do things for us in return!” Magnus chimed in, brushing sawdust off his pants. “You know, like normal people? They’ve been inside this bubble for who knows how long and I’m positive they don’t get visitors, considering Roswell’s reaction to us suddenly breaking through.” He heard a throat clear and realized that the four of them weren’t alone in the sheriff’s office. Magnus turned to see a half-orc woman in a jail cell and waved, walking over so he wasn’t being rude. “Hi there! Hail and well met, my name is Magnus Bur-”

“Have you heard the good news of Pan today?” Merle slid in, pulling out his Extreme Teen Bible as the rest of his crew groaned in response, somehow all having the same reaction of pinching the bridge of their noses.

“What’s a Pan? Like pannin’ for gold? Shoot, I like that, what’s yer name there Beardy?” She spoke with a heavy accent and leaned against the bars, trying to get a better look at Merle.

“It’s uh, it’s Beardy, you got it,” Merle nodded and Davenport cackled. Lucretia just sighed and Magnus took a seat. It was going to be a bit before any of them could get a word in.

“Ah yes, Beardy Highchurch,” Davenport wheezed as the woman in the cell looked at the group.

“Ya got some neato friends here, Beardy. Big Guy built a chair, that’s pretty great.” She nodded.

“Big Guy also has some questions for you if you don’t mind,” Magnus spoke up.

“What’s up there, Big Guy?” She looked through the bars. “I feel like you’re a real down to earth guy, y’know a true pal.”

“I give off that vibe, huh? Rustic hospitality and all that, _anyways_ ,” he cleared his throat. “What’s your story?” Magnus gestured to the jail cell and she snorted.

“Ah, ol’ Cassidy just gettin’ into trouble, you know that old story.” She crossed her arms.

“I, uh… I don’t, but I believe you--” He stopped as she leaned through the bars almost too close to him, looking around the sheriff’s office as if to see if there were anyone listening. Upon realizing it was safe, she sighed and sat back.

“I’ve been falsely accused, gang.” She nodded thoughtfully. “Sheriff Isaak an’ Roswell, they think I blew up the temple. But I ain’t blowin’ up no damn temples, I blow up the earth! Get those diamonds, Cassidy gettin paid, y’know what I’m sayin’?” Lucretia settled down, looking to Davenport with an irritated look. He just shrugged and leaned against Roswell’s desk, watching as Magnus jumped into action, somehow knowing exactly how to get information out of her.

“You know what, Cassidy? I believe you. You seem like you’re the one who gets information around here, am I right?” Magnus held up a hand for a high five, which she graciously returned.

“Fuck yeah, Big Guy! Cassidy knows everything ‘bout everyone!” Magnus nodded thoughtfully, looking down as he figured out how to phrase his request.

“If we were looking for… Say, a magic cup of some kind?” He checked to see if anything he said turned to static. Cassidy nodded back to him and he continued. “Where would we find something like that? Maybe the temple you mentioned?”

“Nah, I don’t think anything’s in the temple anymore. But if you’re all lookin’ for a cup, I’d see Ren at the Davey Lamp. Best bartender this town’s ever seen!” Magnus grinned, going in for another high five.

“Thanks, Cassidy. You’re the best! I’ll bring you back a drink!” He stood up, gesturing for the others to follow him.

“I just need a good old root beer!” She leaned against the wall, settling back down. Davenport followed Magnus out, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Magnus, what the hell? We need a better lead than just heading to the bar!” He stopped in front of Magnus. “I love your ‘getting it done’ attitude, but it’s just… It’s a lot more complicated than just talking to a few people. That was just a waste of…” He looked to the clock tower across the street from them. “Great, it’s 11:29. See, that was a good chunk of an hour!”

“You know, Dav…” Merle spoke up, jogging up from behind them. “I think Mags has got the right idea. He’s super good with people, we establish a rapport before going and demanding the world of these folk. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that we usually bomb in social situations, but he’s kinda nailing it! I say we give Magnus a chance to be a good leader. I side with his plan,” Merle patted Magnus’ lower back, the highest point he could reach, supportively.

“I agree.” Lucretia nodded, “He did a lot better than I expected, I think we need to follow his lead for at least a little while longer.”

“Cap’nport, I really think I can help move this along if you just let me work with the people of the town.” Magnus smiled. “After all, I think this could help reduce any collateral damage. If shit goes a little sideways, we have allies here.” Davenport sighed, nodding along.

“Okay, I agree. Take the reins for a big, Magnus. But if we just make friends for an entire day and get no information, I’m going back to my plan. Deal?” Davenport held out his hand.

“Deal!” Magnus beamed, high fiving him instead of shaking his hand like Davenport expected. The town began to tremble, knocking them to the ground. Merle rubbed his head in frustration.

"Well that's... Odd." He pushed himself up. The sheriff's office behind them seemed like it got the worst of it, as there was a small hole that had cracked in the side of the building. Cassidy's head poked out, scoping out the scene before she dashed out of the sheriff's office. Magnus furrowed his brows, watching her run off towards the quarry.

"Should we follow her?" He took a step in the direction she went, but Lucretia stopped him.

"Let's head in the direction of the Davy Lamp. I think this is the best way we're going to get any information about the chalice." The four of them walked into the Davy Lamp, hearing the lively piano music come to a standstill. Magnus awkwardly waved to the people inside the bar, a cheesy grin crossing his face.

"Hi. Hail and well met?" He waited through some more uncomfortable silence, before everyone at the bar went back to what they were doing. The small tremors had knocked over a few bottles behind the bar and the patrons seemed to be helping clean up around the room.The piano music picked back up and they walked over to the bar. "Are you Ren? I was told you might have some insight to where we might be able to find a special cup." He looked the drow woman at the bar over, smiling widely.

"Yep, that's me! How can I help--" She gasped upon seeing the Sizzle It Up shirt he'd borrowed from Taako's room. "Oh my god, I love your shirt!" She beamed, looking at Magnus. "I saw Sizzle It Up a few years back in the Underdark, I can't believe you've seen Taako too!"

"Well hey, thanks! He and I go way back, Taako's an old friend." Magnus took a seat on a barstool, leaning against the counter. "I can tell you everything about him if you'd like. You know, an exchange of information. I have a few questions about the town about you seem interested in my buddy." She chewed on her lip, really thinking it over.

"You know what? You've got a deal!" She wiped down the counter. "What kinda questions do you have for me?" They talked for about 20 minutes, Magnus sharing stories about Taako, Ren sharing information about the town and the mysterious bubble that surrounded it before the sound of an explosion across the street caused the conversation to come to an abrupt end.

"That sounded like it came from the bank across the street." Ren grabbed a magical rod from behind the bar, walking around the bar and peering outside.

"Oh shit, it's completely in flames!" Merle called out as Magnus rushed out of the building, going towards the bank. He heard voices coming from the building as it threatened to collapse on top of itself. He turned the knob on his belt to fire as he held out his shield, running into the burning bank. Seeing a collapsed dwarven woman on the ground, Magnus hoisted them onto his shoulder.

"What did you four bring with you?!" He heard Roswell's voice call out. "None of this started happening until you came into town." A beam fell in front of them, blocking them from Magnus' view. He flinched away from the fire that engulfed the room.

"Roswell!" He called out, jumping back to avoid another fallen beam from the bank's ceiling. "Fuck, this has gone so south." He carried the unconscious woman in his arms out of the building. He struggled to catch his breath as he gently set her down on the ground.

"Magnus, are you okay?" Davenport ran to his side as Magnus knelt down, coughing from the smoke that had just surrounded him. He collapsed beside the unconscious dwarven woman, wheezing as he tried to process what had just happened.

"I think... Roswell just got crushed by the bank..." He coughed harder, closing his eyes as he focused on just breathing. Merle placed his hands on Magnus as he channeled a healing spell into him. The residents of the town gathered in the streets as the bank fully collapsed. To top it off, the clock tower began to chime the start of the next hour and the earth beneath them began to tremble, shaking the town around them.

“What the hell is hap--” Lucretia was interrupted by an explosion, followed by the ground around them crumbling. As the world collapsed, the crew all found themselves having the same thought: They just gave up their last chance in this world. Death wasn’t unfamiliar to them, but it wasn’t something they thought they’d feel again. But as they returned to that white space, the old woman just frowned.

“Well, you’ll have to do much better than that, I’m afraid.” She said as the whiteness overtook them once more before it turned into the bright sunlight that shone down on them as they woke up, back in Refuge again. They, as well as the town and all its citizens, were intact, as if nothing happened. Literally, as if they never even went into the town.

“Hello, strangers! Please, identify yourselves!” That familiar voice chirped above them, raising a million questions at once. Before anyone else could answer, Merle voiced his opinion, asking the biggest question on all of their minds.

“What the fuck?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's hope I keep up the constant updates, amiright? Hope you all enjoy! I know The Eleventh Hour is a lot of people's favorite arcs! It's not mine personally (Crystal Kingdom, ey lads?) but I want to do it justice because of how well Griffin told the story through the Groundhog Day-esque repeated events. Anyways, have a super duper great week and I'll hopefully be back sometime next week!
> 
> ***EDIT 11/18*** So... It's been what, about 4 months? This chapter Really goofed me up, I'd forgotten a ton of the Refuge events and was just wholly unsatisfied with the result. It put me in a huge rut and I couldn't seem to actually work on this fic anymore. I needed to fix this chapter before I could even touch the rest of it or even think about this fic. But, I finally did it and fixed it up and hopefully it'll give me my drive back because I love this fic so dearly!!  
> Thank you so much for staying with, I promise more things are to come because I'm not done with this bad boy!!


End file.
